500 GB Hard Drive - The PlayStation 4's hard drive will be upgradeable similar to how the PS3 is currently set up.

Game DVR

Yes - The PlayStation 4 natively supports the option to record and upload gameplay to social media or online streaming services using the built-in "Share" button. The PS4 automatically records the last few minutes of gameplay for you so that you can easily pick what you want to upload.

It has its own compression system and uploads the content in the background while you continue playing. Video services include Twitch, Ustream, YouTube, and more. Free software entitled "SHAREfactory allows you to edit videos before uploading

Cloud Storage

Yes - The PlayStation 4 uses a cloud-based storage system to collect all your account data, and saved games, making them available anywhere you're signed in.

USB Ports

Three - The PlayStation 4 uses two USB 3.0 ports for different companion devices in addition to a dedicated jack for the PS Eye.

Mandatory Game Installs

Yes - Game installations are mandatory on the PlayStation 4 with install times ranging from seconds to minutes. Gamers do not need to wait for the install to finish before being able to play the game. This was an optional feature on some PS3 games.

"Always Online"

No - The PlayStation 4 does not require an internet connection for playing games. However, syncing to PlayStation Now and accessing the PSN will obviously require internet access.

Console Home

Yes - Users can nominate one PS4 console to be their "home" device, which means all content will be available for anyone to use including PlayStation Plus access. Signing into a PSN account will not be necessary on a "home" console.

Used Game Fee

No - There are currently no programs or requirements in place regarding used games. They function as if they were new.

No - The PlayStation 4 uses an entirely new architecture for processing game data, which makes it completely incompatible with past PlayStation games. However, with PlayStation Now's cloud-based streaming service, gamers will have access to PS1, PS2, and PS3 games to stream directly to their device.

Second Screen

PlayStation Vita, Smartphones, Tablets - Sony released a PlayStation app shortly after the release of the PS4 that allows for remote game purchases, second screen navigation, and connectivity with your account.

Users can make purchases in the PSN store, wake up their console, and install games with a secondary device.

Motion Control

PS Eye 2.0 + PS Move - The PlayStation 4 uses the newly redesigned PS Eye for motion tracking and information processing. The device can track players and deliver game information like low health to their controllers. The PS3's Move devices will be supported by the PS4.

All PS4s come pre-installed with Playroom, a virtual space that utilizes the PS Eye to interact with the environment. This free tech demo is also updated constantly with additional free downloads that add mini-games to the experience.

Subscription Service

Yes - The PlayStation 4 requires a PlayStation Plus membership for access to online games. Single player games, free-to-play games, and games that can be played offline will not require a monthly subscription.

Users can also sign into their account on any PS4 and access their library of games provided they download a portion of it first.

PSN Account

Transferable - Sony has confirmed existing PlayStation Plus accounts will carry over to the PS4.

Operating System

New - The PlayStation 4 uses a new OS and user interface called the PlayStation Dynamic Menu. Users can instantly switch from playing a game to other social media options and even suspend gameplay to continue right away at a later time. It no longer relies on the XrossMediaBar for navigation.

How the PS4 came to be

Moving away from custom Cell architecture that cost Sony millions of dollars in research and development during the PS3 years, the new console instead uses a custom AMD “Jaguar” x86-64 instruction set that will make it more attuned to modern PCs. This was intentionally sought out after the poor reception from developers when they tried porting games onto the PS3 from Xbox 360 architecture.

It was also a pain for developers to always have to customize game code to fit the PS3. By unifying the way developers make games (the Xbox One will use the same CPU architecture), it will be cheaper overall to design and code the next generation software.

The PlayStation 4 uses a custom APU set from AMD. The CPU consists of eight x86-64 cores and runs concurrently with its GPU, which consists of 18 compute units and a theoretical peak performance of 1.84 teraflops. However, this performance will technically never be fully realized in games or the various utilities running on the PS4 and should be considered the maximum of what the console can handle. This is in line with midrange gaming PCs and the Xbox One hardware specs.

Both the CPU and GPU will share the same memory processing pool when it comes to dedicated RAM so that graphics processing and utility OS functions will take what they need when they need it. Instead of the CPU holding onto a chunk of the memory pool even when not in use, the shared design ensures the console is getting the most performance when processing graphics data.The PS4 will also have a secondary custom chip for handling background OS functions like downloads, uploads, and user interface options.

The PlayStation 4 will use 8 GB of GDDR5 dedicated RAM, which puts it ahead of the Xbox One in terms of raw bandwidth (176 GB/s) that can be processed at any one instance. While both consoles have 8 gigabytes of total RAM, the PS4 can process more information at once than the Xbox One. While technically meaningless considering the midrange PC specs on both consoles not really requiring more beyond 8 gigabytes, the PS4 could process more information and produce less slowdown if the user is streaming games or doing something else actually requiring the full RAM pool.

For gamers wealthy enough to afford the nice television sets, the PS4 will be able to support gaming running at 1080p with the ability to run movies and images at 4K resolution. Don’t expect the PS4 to render games at 4K because the technology to consistently do so without frying the APU inside your console does not exist cheaply yet.

The PS4 has two USB 3.0 ports in addition to a special auxiliary port for the PlayStation Eye. Sony has smartly designed their companion motion control device to have its own dedicated port so that gamers don’t have to sacrifice one for a device that’s almost necessary for future gaming. The PS4 controller is able to charge using the ports even if the system is in standby mode, which is a major step-up from the previous console. Honestly, who made the conscious decision not to include this feature in the PS3? I hope they got kicked in the stones when they were in “standby” mode.

New Toys and TechAmong the new and improved applications and tech features like a faster Blu-ray disc drive, the PlayStation 4 also comes with second screen capabilities through your PS Vita, smartphone, or tablet. Secondary screens can also wake up and log into your PS4 to initiate downloads or stream games onto another device. Sony released a new PlayStation app specifically for this feature so that users can access their system and chat with their friends on the go.This is of course a major step forward in social gameplay that allows PS4 owners to make game time anytime. Yes, I realize that sentence sounded dangerously cheesy. Cheetos. I should get some cheetos.

If the user chooses, a title can be purchased and downloaded in the background without interrupting the other features on the PSN. For users looking for an expanded entertainment experience, the new PSN allows subscription services through the PlayStation store like the Sony’s Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited series.

The new home screen features a combination of the latest offers from third-party vendors you’re subscribed to (e.g. your Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu) and the latest content from your friends. This includes new streamed content, their newly acquired trophies, and social media uploads. From the PS4’s home screen, you can also multitask by browsing the PlayStation Store for the latest titles or DLC while browsing the worldwide web looking at pictures of grumpy cats and chatting to friends online and in-game. Game invitations, shared in-game gifts from friends, and newly acquired items for participating in different events will also show up on the PS4 home screen when you select specific games in your library to view.

Games will also have their own dedicated tab that you can view for further information similar to how Steam currently has their games sorted based on different hubs. Within these game tabs, you can view what your friends have been doing in that game, their achievements, your own achievements, a newsfeed for updates and bug fixes from developers, newly gifted items received from friends or promotions, and more.

Privacy now works on a two tier system where your close friends can view your real name, location, and other detailed information while online friends can only view your online identity. When you become friends with someone, detailed information is only provided via a "Real Name Request" that you can send them. Otherwise, only basic info is shown.

Arguably one of the best new features about the PS4 is known as PlayGo, where all titles on the console can be downloaded while you play the game. While the initial setup and install may take a while, the PS4 does not require you to install the full game in order to play. For example, if you’re playing the next Uncharted game on the PS4, you only need to download the first level of the game to start playing while the rest downloads in the background. Since the PlayStation Store will have digital downloads of new titles the day physical copies are released, you could immediately start playing the next hot release right away.

The PlayStation 4 will not require a transfer fee for buying used games and while the console is not backwards capable with the PS2 or PS3, you can stream any game in the PlayStation library with the PlayStation Now cloud service. It is currently unknown whether these titles will have to be purchased again from the PlayStation store or if Sony plans on digitizing your own library somehow.

Sony PS4 Conference Video - Specs Detailed:

Eye See YouThe PlayStation Eye has been completely redesigned for the eighth generation console to take advantage of 3D image capturing and inter-connectivity with the PS4 controller. Aside from the increased number of cameras (you get two!), wider range, sleeker design, four different camera options, and recognition for up to six people, the PS Eye will have voice recognition and costs $60. Previous PlayStation Move companion devices will be supported on the PS4 although there are currently no planned new features for them. For the nitty-gritty technical specs, check out this handy table below.

The DualShock 4The PlayStation 4 controller maintains the same general shape (Sony has improved the design to be more comfortable) of previous DualShock controllers and improves upon existing features with new tech. Despite being similar in appearance, the PS3 controller will not be compatible with the eighth generation console due to all the improved or new tech features crammed into the DualShock 4. You still get two analog sticks, two analog triggers (L2 and R2), the iconic triangle, circle, square, and X face buttons, the L1 and R1 buttons, and four individual directional buttons. You also get the neat-o L3 and R3 on the analog sticks. The DualShock 4 retails for $59.99 USD.

Improvements to the controller include a brand new material over the two analog sticks that Sony has claimed to be more comfortable than previous DualShocks. They have also been redesigned to have a circular ridge along the edge of the analog sticks to increase precision when gamers play. The L3 and R3 push buttons on the analog sticks have increased responsiveness, which means something depending on how you rated the previous responsiveness on these two buttons.

The DualShock 4 will have some motion control via a three-axis gyroscope and three-axis accelerometer that the PlayStation eye will recognize. There is an additional vibration feature using multiple motors to give players better immersion with the game they’re playing.

Most gamers will probably notice the rather large touchpad on the center of the controller that also acts as an additional click button. Thus far we've seen this touchpad used for everything from switching weapons, to navigating maps and inventory .

For PlayStation Eye support, the DualShock 4 has a built-in light bar that will transfer information from the game to the controller via different light sequences depending on the context. For example, if a player’s health is low, the DualShock 4 will begin flashing its light bar. A more creative use was seen in Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition where the bar would flash orange and red while holding a torch in the game. In addition to the new light bar sensor on the DualShock 4, there are also two ports for a headset and a mini-USB cable for charging purposes. A headset is included with the purchase of a PS4 although there is also a mono speaker on the controller itself that delivers in-game sounds.

There are two new buttons featured on the PS4 controller: Share and Options. The Options button located on the right side of the DualShock 4 incorporates both the Start and Select button from the previous controller into a single button. I think Options pretty much sums up what the button offers to gamers and developers. The Share button is an entirely new feature for the console that promotes Sony’s new position on social gameplay. When a player hits the Share button, holds it down, or taps it twice, various things can happen depending on the settings. You can upload recorded video to friends online or through social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook. You can also do the same with screenshots from within the game, adding a caption as well if you'd like.

There's already rumors about Sony moving away from the Cell architechture in favor of a PPC based multi-core arch. My guess it'll use some sort of Power7 based CPU, maybe 8 cores. Since earch core is capable of 4 threads on the Power7, it can handle 64 threads. GPU-wise is less certain. With rumored release date being late 2012, I can see Sony maybe would wait for the GTX6xx series. Currently the GTX570 is really powerful, but the 4xx to 5xx is not a big performance increase. I think the 6xx series will be a big increase like 2xx to 4xx. So maybe around 800-1000 shaders (or CUDA cores as Nvidia now likes to call it). Ram wise I hope Sony learned it's lessons and ditch XDR for DDR3. 4GB of DDR3 and at least 1GB of VRAM should be enough for a few years. But man, we'll probably see another $600 monster at release, and I won't be able to afford it until they drop the prices down to $300.

Rumours are rumours :/ I can't see Sony ditching the Cell to be honest. Billions of dollars spent on it over the years can't go to waste. Especially since the Playstation division of Sony is the only division that is actually turning a profit.
Also what about backwards compatibility. No cell = not being able to play any PS3 game, so on release that Playstation store they have been working hard to fill will go to waste as none of the games will work and will be empty.
XDR2 is a very capable memory, much faster than DDR3 and even much faster than GDDR5 and consumes less memory as it has a lower voltage and therefore does not produce as much heat. So I don't see the same problem with it as you do. Also I can only see then adding 1Gb as the PS4 OS wont be using a lot of RAM, the PS3 uses around 54Mb.
The GTX560 I stated is a huge increase over the RSX roughly about 10x more powerful than the RSX (based on a mixture of number or transistors and clock speed). You shouldn't judge what the GPU may be on how much more powerful it is than the RSX but on what is practical and cost efficient.

the ps4 needs to play ps1 thru ps3 games if not then its bs. and backwards compatibility needs to be standard for every model. sony aint ditching the cell. i read on wikipedia that it cost about $500 million dollars to make it. it might be more or less i cant quite remember but it was around that.

Hulu needs to make money somehow so I highly doubt that it will eve be made free. Even if it was free, Sony would have to subsidise them which may mean that they could start charging more for other services such as playstation plus or even charging for online gaming!

I think this is the only information about the PS4 that Sony have spoke about. They said that you will be able to keep your PSN user name and ID and keep all your existing trophies. For me this means that there will be some sort of backwards compatibility to play PS3 games.

With the recent discovery of the epic fail in the ps3 security. I hope that Sony learns from the mistakes in the ps3 and build a more secure system at every point.
I love the ps3 and if it were't for Sony we would be at the likes of xbox or play on a kiddy wii system.

Proper cooling this time please and I disagree sony won't use a single gtx 560 they will wont more performance for 3d bluray playback, HD games ect so they will get nvidia to make a one off processor especially for ps3 cause they will sell enough to justify its own chip.

I don't think it should be backwards compatible, especially for PS2. Just play these friggin games on a PS2! By making things backwards compatible, don't you understand that it makes the systems more expensive (as they have to support various media formats)!!! It also makes the units larger and the software less optimal.
I want a PS4 so I can enjoy the future potential of gaming, not games made for the 80's dude. If you want to play these games get a time machine, or better yet, visit an antiques museum!

i have a better idea, instead of cluttering my room with multiple systems, i get a ps4 because its more than capable of playing ps2 games. if sony learned from there mistake from making the ps3, they would make a working backwards compatible program that comes on the ps4 or offer it on psn like they do now for systems with the emotion chip. and gueess what its free. even if it will cost money it will be so small that it wont make a difference in the price of the ps4 because it will probably cost over $1000.

There have been a bunch of rumors on the net about Sony ditching the Cell processor family, but I agree with the original poster. They have invested too much money on the Cell to ditch it.
Also, switching CPU architecture would mean two major things.
1. They would have to emulate the PS3 to be backwards compatible or include a PS3 chip in the first generation of the PS4 like they did on the PS3. Either choice is expensive. Microsoft tried the emulator path and failed miserably.
2. Game developers have spent a lot of resources, time and money to develop engines which fit and maximise the useage of the Cell. It took them a while but they seem to be getting hang of it. Changing architecture once more will only push them even further towards MS who are sure to keep a DirectX based console. It would be much easier to evelop games for the DirectX based Xbox720 and port than to reinvest a huge amount of money on learning how to utilize a new architecture again. This would also mean a lot of Xbox 720 exclusives for the games that port badly or at least a 1 year waiting perior before relaunch to PS4.
So... no shifting from Cell.
RAM prices have gone down a LOT and for a next gen system I would expect at least 2Gb of RAM.
Blu-Ray is given to keep costs down. PS3 was too expensive and too late due to waiting for HDMI 1.3 and Blu-Ray drives. They won't be making that mistake anyways. Besides, mid life of the PS4 will most likely see digital distribution arise so PSN network will be much more important to develop than HVD.
I wouldn't expect the PS4 until late 2012 or early 2013 (move delayed it), so expect NVidia GTX6xx series. Maybe some form of dual chip PS4 exclusive.

Thanks for your comment.
RAM prices have dropped in price considerably sice the release of the PS3 however I was talking about a type of RAM which isn't as mainstream so prices wouldn't have dropped as much. However I have been thinking about the amount of RAM I speculated and I am wondering if 1GB is enough.
I chose the GTX 560 only because I haven't seen or heard anything about the 600 series yet. If I had more info then it would be likely that I would have chosen a 600 series chip. However i'm not sure a dual chip configuration is cost effective considering that I believe they my speculated PS4 will cost around $/£/€ 600, the same as the first released PS3s, and I don't expect the cost to get cheaper as fast as it did with the PS3 which took 4 years for its price to half.

I just wanted to announce to everyone there is a leaked trailer from japan concerning and confirming the ps4 in the testing stage. Thats an amazing revelation all in its own! Hope your lookin forward to it as much as i ma =)
Here ya go :)
http://www.indyarocks.com/videos/PS4--Playstation-4--Leaked-Launch-Trailer-459851

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the SSD from being standard in any future consoles...
Reason being, i wouldn't expect the PS4 until 2013, probably late 2012 for the hype machine... At this point SSD will be pretty much standard as far as price attraction & mass market appeal goes with smaller capacity drives at least.
The in thing is using SSD for the OS & programs, regular HDD for storage and all other uses...
Keep that in mind for PS4 time... I'd expect to see average sized SS drives being shipped as standard...
Look at todays place with the PS3... First thing i did years back was stuff a 500gb hdd in there, however the highest model was 60gb then 80gb before the slim generation.
Iam expecting the same thing but using solid state drives with the lower storage capacity, i'd say that's a lot more realistic than predicting them using 1TB hdd's as standard, considering there cheap as chips anyways right now.
We're talking future gen, thinking by todays standards is pretty pointless as everything will be changing soon enough, the capacity increases won't be stupidly huge by the PS4 era, but they will go that way soon after, we won't be looking at lower range capacity drives at all depending on how quick SSD matures, but that certainly will be standard, probably as a selling point.
I'd also say combined with the SSD as standard, we'll be looking at an expansion hdd slot... So yeah, it's hardly a daft idea when you think about it, allowing us to use whatever we want just like the PS3, but...
Security wise, if they implemented my above idea, they could literally lock the SSD totally down, as we can't remove it & therefore are not supposed to plug it into a pc and go all h@x0r on it... Extra security features along with the improved ones they currently use which have been negotiated, again would put them ahead of the game for a long time, because locking the master ssd into the PS4 would indeed enable them to do some crazy encription magic alongside the root security stuff being improved, it would nigh on guarentee good stuff on every level.
To sum up...
60gb ssd ... No access to it at all... With expansion slot for extending storage to our own means... Hugely improved security features... Great selling points... SSD as standard by PS4 era...
... As a side note, i think larger capacity blu-ray will be the way forward too, i doubt there's any need to look elsewhere.

An interesting point however I suggested a HDD opposed to an SDD because the price of SSDs hasn't dropped as quick as HDD which have halved in price in 5 years however SSDs still hover around the same price point per GB.

But I'd still put my money on 4GB of total ram. 1GB for Video and another 1 GB for the entire system is a bit slim for a late 2012 release (or even as much distant as a late 2013 one!). It wouldn't be too reasonable considering the 6-year expectation cycle in this industry.
As we all know, a good amount of RAM memory is essential for future gaming endeavors. This is exactly what makes Sony look for tricks in order to not make its lack of RAM so aparent. This is the main reason the first Crysis game would not be satisfyngly possible on the current generation of consoles – it would severely lack draw distance, high res. textures and the list goes on...
I also believe Sony will make the switch from Nvidia to Ati at the slightest oportunity. ATI has always had an edge over Nvidia as far as we know. Even Nintendo has been an ATI customer for some time now.
The rest is essentially spot on (or so I believe). Just as you suggested, throw in a couple of 3.0 usb entries, expand the blu-ray support (and increase its reading speed), keep the cell processor (small, now cost-effective and powerful at floating point operations) and add a good number of supporting SPEs with increased individual cache, and also keep the incredibly fast XDR memory (introducing its second generation line in this case) and we have pretty much a winner at an approachable market cost (and price) by the end of 2012.
If the next gen. Playstation is launched with 4GB of fast and specialized memory, we’ll have a considerably potent console for years to come, even after release - and it'd still not be too pricey at the end of 2012, for instance.
Its a good prediction, I'd say. Nice read. :)
p.s. I apologize for my English. Its not my mother tongue. :]
- Ivo Maropo.

Thank you Ivo Maropo. You write in English very well.
I am still debating with myself over the amount of RAM it may contain. However I suggested 2Gb overall since it is a close system. for example i'm sure that if the first crysis was to be made for the PS4 (unlikely but hypothetically) then it could actually be better then the PC version since crytek (the developers) are coding for one system only and therefore can take full advantage of the hardware.
I can see the argument for more RAM but I can also see the argument against more RAM. Developers have made better techniques whereby textures and sounds are streamed off the blu-ray disc, that way they don't have to store it in the VRAM meaning that the quality of the streamed textures is higher, Uncharted 2 is a great example of this streaming technology and the to be released killzone 3 will use even better streaming techniques.
Thanks again, Henry.

There's no denying that coding for a single system can generate big benefits. But its still no miracle though.
Uncharted 2, for instance, looked stunning but the environments were reduced, anti-aliasing was restrictive and textures lose quality within a few meters around the action takes place vigorously. This is an aggravating problem as time goes on (imho).
When we look back in time its clear that every new generation multiplies its ram amound by 8 (PS1 = 4 mb, PS2 = 32 mb, PS3 = 512 mb, hence my prediction of 4 GBs).
Also consider that its gonna take longer for a new cycle now than it has taken in the past (around 5 to 6 years at most). Its quite likely the next Playstation may hit the shelves only in 2013! (taking more than 6 years since its last generation).
That mostly due to the Move release, which is clearly a distracting device meant for prolonging the lifetime of the current generation of consoles. There are many good reasons to believe a 4GB console is more than possible, but I can still respect your predictions on the matter though. :)
Its all good. I really enjoy discussing these things. Thanks again!
-Ivo

For once speculations are made with some logics instead of these "wish lists" you see.
I'm sure your speculations won't go far.
I'm sure that social media, spotify etc might be integrated as part of the "experience" as well that might be worth mentioning as well as appstore like stuff, but focusing on the hardware I think that's really close.
Only thing not pushing PS4 out yet is there's not THAT big of a improvement for most people in those specs that seem realistic.
I bet also some 4k videosupport should be coming via software upgrade.
I'd wish PS4 would come out tomorrow so I wouldn't need to buy extra bluray player cause PS3 is kinda nifty bd player on long distances not to mention lack of support in 1st gen version for proper HD-sound.

Thanks, I tried hard to make it as realistic as possible. As you can see I tried not to get in to what apps and stuff will be included in the OS as it can be quite unpredictable. However Sony could update it after release to include many things even 4K support.
Not sure about spotify though since they have released Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for internet connected sony devices and pcs

When people make up specs for future consoles why do they always use out dated technologies?
First of all: Sony have already made their money back from the (unnecessary) investment of the Cell processor, which performs like any average general processor). Sony can scrap the cell, it's not a big deal, just like they scrapped the power hungry PSP UMD disk for the PSP2.
.
Nothing is getting clocked at 3.8Ghz. Why waste heat on a simple clock increase when they can utilize the same heat on an improved architecture & cache.
.
Chances are the first PS4's will be 32nm and the seconds spec will be 22nm...The smaller the technology the more the cost.
.
More SPE's doesn't increase efficiency of "general" gaming. Just a waste of power.
If the cell was so great the PS3 should out perform the X360 but it's on par. The cell needs to go it was a bad decision, it's the reason your PS3 cost too much.
.
For graphics on demand today you should expect the PS4 & x720 to have at least 3GB of high bandwidth memory. And In 2012 most top spec graphic cards will be pushing 4-6GB, this isn't a big deal but a necessity for HD/3D gaming.
.
Sony can't ditch Blueray, because they are blueray (need it for backwards compatibility), but yes HVD Is a possibility.
.
Sony is not going to waste users money on an expensive 64GB solid state drive when they can give everyone 500GB hard drives for barely nothing. 500GB (or 1TB) Is likely to be the basic HD size as they expect people to download games.
.
Here's some more realistic specs (being bias against the cell):
.
Intel Quad core, 12MB cache, 3Ghz clock, 2.?? Ghz FSB,at 32nm.
.
(use software for PS1 & PS2 emulation and the crappy cell hardware for ps3
emulation). They will put the cell in the same silicon as the main cpu.
.
Geforce GPU , CUDA cores @ 1024Mhz, processor clock @ 2Ghz
.
3GB GDDR6 @ 8Ghz 384 bit, 1GB of XDR @ 8Ghz (4Gb in total)
.
HVD @ a slow (but fast for us) 20MB/s up to 200GB (blueray/ DVD etc)
.
Google Chrome Os & market place, with Sony apps & marketplace.
.
It will most likely be slightly smaller than the PS3 & use a bit less power (just under 300 watts)
due to the Intel architecture, the 32nm tec and the 40/32nm gpu.
.
The cell eats and waste power like a Mofo
.
If HVD is a must it will cost about the same as the PS3 launch price.
.
Games will still be both 720p or 1080p, this is logical to demand.
Obviously some games will be 3d but not many, some games will use motion capture, they will retain the same controller but with extra features.
This is the closest prediction you will get -JugularKill

I must say that Sony have not and will not get the money they spent on the cell back for a very very long time. Scraping the CEll is a huge deal. For example it will not be possible to emulate PS3 games at all on any another type of processor.
3.8GHz is more possible than Sony ditching the Cell. The Cell has a very high Power to watt ratio, much higher than your Intel or AMD CPU.
Intel and or AMD CPUs have not been used in a games console for a very long time now simply because the architecture is not up to scratch for raw performance. IBM will always be the choice for future games consoles.
The reason the PS3 costs so much now is a combination of the price of the blu-ray drive and the Cell. The blu-ray drive is actually the most expensive part.
I did not base my predictions on technology that is not speculated yet. For example GDDR6, I have not heard or seen anything to do with the technology yet. Since DDR4 has only had it specs released and 1 yes 1 prototype DDR4 stick has been made I do not see GDDR6 anytime soon. Not for a 2012/13 release anyway.
Main RAM and VRAM is very debatable, it is hard to see if lots of it is necessary or if better streaming techniques become the norm. But I will say this, when the PS3 was released the average amount of main RAM in a PC was 512mb (for retail PCs) and VRAM was 512mb. So saying that future PC's will have 4Gb of VRAM and 4Gb RAM is not relavant.
But then Again your "specs" seem tilted toward wishlist rather than realistic.
Thanks for your input. Henry.

The rumors is an IBM Power7 CPU and an Imagination Technologies PowerVR 6 GPU.
CPU: IBM has moved away from the cell and has included Cell R&D into their Power architecture. Sony is not going to increase frequencies for marginal performance and more heat. The Cell will not be in the PS4 so stop hugging it. If rumors are correct then a variant of the IBM POWER7 Express 720 3.0GHz (8 cores) will be the CPU. 32nm fabrication by default.
GPU: The NGP GPU was a ImagTec SGX543MP4. There were rumors that Sony will use a variant of the PowerVR 6 for the PS4. Sony will not go the Nintendo route--marginal increase in performance for maximum profits, that's not Sony. So, I won't be surprised if we see a PowerVR 6 that tops 2TFLOPS in theoretical performance. Then again, I won't be surprised to see an ATI or NVIDIA GPU. No Larrabee.
RAM: 4GB minimum. Most low end notebooks come with 2GB of RAM by default. 4GB to 6GB of XDR1 won't be surprising.
HDD: No SSD. 256GB SSD cost as much as a launch PS3. Look for 500GB by default. I'm almost certain Sony wanted SSD's for a PS4 but prices are just not going down.
Optical: Bluray with default capability to read 100GB discs.
USB: 2 or 3 USB 3.0 ports. Maybe even one LightPeak port.

To prevent mistakes of the past, and keep the initial purchase cost as low as possible, they could launch a basic and an advanced model. (like a certain other company)
The HDD could be replaced by 16 GB fast flash memory. This is where the game data will be streamed directly from blueray, so no more need for lengthy installs to HDD. Also faster loading times ingame :)
The future is cloud, so all PSN Games data could be streamed directly to the flash storage when playing it. Savegames and profiles will be stored online and on the local memory as backup, it will be accesible from different platforms.
In locales without fast internet, people can download and run PSN content on usb memory sticks.
Off course there will be a reserved slot for a HDD upgrade. Sony could work with a few manufacturers to make PS branded drives. This is where you can store all your media, and larger dlc/psn games.
This way you have the best of both worlds (fast loading and high storage) without driving up the initial cost of the PS4, and keep things profitable for sony which is a good thing in the long run.
More profit = more investors = more games
About the CPU, i have no clue. Cell2/POWER 7 or even ARM based multicore cpu's are all possible. Whatever they do, the most important thing is that Sony remembers that software is even more important then hardware.
They should really invest in the PS4 SDK(software development kit) and make it easy to use from the start. This is the surest way of getting great developers and games to their platform.
They have proven with the NGP(PSP2) they are quite capable in this, so my hopes are up for PS4.

Cloud based gaming is great, if you have a good connection however. Sony sells the Playstation all over the world, some if not most countries have rather bad connections on average. Take the UK for example (since its where I live) around 90% of those who can have an internet connection use the old fashion copper wiring, on average we get speeds of 4-5 mbps download and 0.4-0.6 upload speed. Games will not load fast on this peed at all. What about online gaiming aswell? With the lag of cloud based gaiming and the lag of p-p connections (as this is what most online games use) online gaming would be terrible.

using your console online should always be an option not a requirement. What i mean with cloud is a better social connectivity, automatically synchronized profiles and saves with other playstation brand devices: psp, cellphone, notebooks etc.
The streaming of game data would be to save storage space, but in that your kinda right: gettng a new HDD is cheaper then getting an expensive internet connection.
A service like onlive, which is 100% cloud, would be to premature. Could become better in the future with improved bandwith/lower latency though.
Making people want to go online for nice features is smart, forcing them is not.

they should add an optional feature that can allow you to play and copy cassettes and old computer games that are on cassettes and floppy disks. for you young people computer games in the 70's and 80's were on cassettes and floppy disks. this feature would be cool to have but probably will never happen because it would be such a pain to make.

This article is like: hmm the ps4...the TOP of the technologies when it will be release, it will have a 2011 single GPU with a 2010 cpu (maybe overclocked) and it will RULE!!!
WTF, did you remember that the ps3 was out in 2006? in that time quad core was the top of the top of the top, and they made the cell (wich I agree was not well used until now).
To be realistic, if they want to stay ¨powerful¨ for a long time, you need at LEAST 6gb of vram and ram combined and at LEAST a 6-8 core cpu > 3.5 GHZ ( >8 core + >4.0GHZ would be better...more would be possible). For the GPU, dont even use current GPU to predict the ps4 one, it will probably be a top-of-the-line GPU. Wich is NOT a gtx 560 or a gtx 580.
For me, the best thing they can do is as followed:
RAM: 4gb ram, 4 gb vram.
Drive:Updated blu-ray drive that can read quad layer blu-ray, it would be good for compatibility.
Storage: if its not a SSD, its a LEAST a 1.5 terrabyte HDD.
CPU: 32 cores next-gen CELL clocked at 5-6 GHZ. And for all the ¨pro's¨ out here that say: too much heat too much heat! remember when 1 ghz released TOO MUCH HEAT. Now we have quad core clocked at 3 ghz easily because the architecture get BETTER.
GPU: Currently cant predict but it will mostly be a good one. They will have the budget for a better one because they will be recycling old technologie like blu-ray and CELL, wich will give them a lot of budget.
Note on the cell: again, for the ¨too much heat¨ pro's, the 65nm cell only require 1.3V at 6 GHZ. So do you REALLY think 32nm cell will have problems?

Some interesting points.
The GPU as I said is hard to predict. And I chose the GTX 560 since that is about as far as Nvidia have released specs for. I haven't seen or heard anything about GPUs beyond 2011. When information become available of future GPUs then I will update accordingly.
The Cell has been updated continually since release and now has better performance than the original and I would say is still one of the top performing CPUs, hence why many companies use servers filled with Cell processors for heavy calculations.
Quote "WTF, did you remember that the ps3 was out in 2006? in that time quad core was the top of the top of the top" and almost 6 years later it has only changed to 6 cores which is the same amount of SPEs in the PS3 and yet the PS3 still out performs any AMD or Intel CPU.
As for clock speed, 5-6 Ghz is too extreme, I don't know of any CPU which can be clocked at this speed without a voltage increase and significant heat increase.
If say the PS4 is released in 2013 onwards then the CPU could be made at 16nm which I would say would allow for the clock speed to go up to 4.6 Ghz. You need to consider the amount of cores and the amount of localised heat that it will make. This is difficult to get rid of.
RAM is a tricky subject since the PS4 is a closed system and there isn't a huge operating system and loads of background tasks running. That is the main reason why PC games require more RAM.
Also since developers have better streaming techniques large amounts of RAM are not needed. But again I will be researching to find out if the amount of RAM I predicted is enough.
1.5Tb hard drive minimum! That is insane! 320Gb to 500Gb is more realistic.
Thanks, Henry.

About the hard drive, why would 1.5 terrabyte be too much? with an era of digital downloads approching, 1.5 TB for a multimedia platform is perfect (HD shows, games etc...). and >1 TB drives right now are cheap... a high performance 1 TB drive only cost 95$ (western digital caviar black). I already saw a 2 TB caviar green at 60$.
in the time the ps4 is out, this would be the logical choice.
And for ram, since ps4 games will be at minimum 1080p, and post-process, Hd textures are more and more used, a lot of ram will be needed. And dont forget, artist ALWAY want more vram ^^.
And for the CPU, I agree 5-6 GHZ can be too much for traditional cpu, but I dont think the CELL is traditional ^^. Here is why: http://news.softpedia.com/news/The-Cell-CPU-Runs-at-6-GHz-43657.shtml
yes, the cell of that time (2007) run at 6GHZ at 1.3v (wich is the voltage I use for my core 2 quad at 3.0 GHZ).
So if they do the cell at 32-22nm, 32 SPE's (at 6 GHZ) and 2 PPE's would be perfectly feasable.
Sorry for the ¨IM MAD¨ feeling my first post introduced. :P

It may be cheap but considering that streaming compatibilities may be possible on the PS4 then huge hard drive to store all your music, videos and pictures isn't needed. I don't see the PS4 needing huge game installs either since blu-ray drives will be faster and i don't expect digital downloads to increase in their data size much either since it would take a long time to download and some people have ISP that cap their usage.
Once again I think 1gb of VRAM is enough for "1080p, and post-process, Hd textures" as since its a closed system. For example what would you expect graphically out of a computer that had a very good Intel or AMD processor but only 256mb of main ram and a very good video card from 2005/6 with only 256mb of VRAM. I don't even expect it to run its operating system very well, I don't even think it would run a game at at few frames per second. Yet the PS3 can do well graphically. Look at uncharted 2 for example, native 1280*720p resolution, post processing and highly detailed textures on 256Mb of VRAM. Im am certain that 1Gb VRAM can do double the resolution and do 1080p 3d as well.
Like I said before 32 SPEs and 2 PPEs running at 6GHz in a small space = certain meltdown + huge power consumption. To be honest only if the Cell starts at 16nm I could see it go up to at most around 5.2 Ghz but only with good cooling. Even reducing size will only reduce heat and power consumption a little.

It seem you dont know what highly detailed textures are. Crysis on 1080p at max details fulled my 1gb of vram. Same for starcraft 2 thanks to the post-process+textures. 1080p has 2073000 pixels while 720p has 921600 pixels, this is more than double. Uncharted was beautiful but remember that AA at 1080p also cost way more. And dont think the next-generation developpers will stick with low-resolution SSAO and low-res textures for 1080p. BTW my old video card had 256mb of vram and I could play most games of the time (2006), vram is not affected by the operating system.
After playing crysis on 1080p, when I play uncharted I see texture and pixel popping everywhere. And on pc, ¨native 1280*720p resolution¨ is out for a long time. You see the technologie need by checking the ps3, wich is wrong.
Also remember that they could use a total of 512mb of ram combined...so they could place graphics data in the XDR ram. If you really think 1gb of vram will do it for a 2012-2013 console, you REALLY dont know what you are talking about.
Finally, like for the GPU, it seem you dont want to understand cpu shrink. My link was not enough? A pentium 4 at 3ghz was smoking. My core 2 quad at 3ghz is chilling at 65nm. You dont see far enough.
If you can fit a game at LEAST detailed like crysis in 3d 1080p on 1gb of vram, you are a magician, cause its not possible. face it.

Modern operating systems do use some VRAM, only very little.
You are right, 1Gb of VRAm for Crysis 1 is not enough, but that the Cryengine's 2 fault. If the first Crysis is updated with the newest Cryengine at the time of PS4s release then it could possibly do 1080p in 3D. 3D does not use much more VRAM since the 2 separate frames it produces are not vastly different, they contain the same objects etc. Cryengine 2 really isn't a very good engine anyway, very bloated and unoptimised therefore requiring more RAM and VRAM to function stably hence why only good PCs can play it at a minimum of medium settings with a stable frame rate.
The Cell is good at AA therefore AA can be done without much help from the GPU. Although Sony could customise the GPU to make it have some local storage to make AA easier, just like the xbox 360.
The PS3 is perfectly capable of running games in native 1080p already and only has 256Mb of VRAM. Gran Turismo 5 for example has a native resolution of 1080p and runs at 60 frame per second and with highly detailed car models.
Also it seems you are forgetting the fact that Cyrsis 1 was developed for PC and there was coded so that it could run on a multitude of configurations. This has implications.
And I was only stating 1Gb since that is what that particular GPU is paired with. I will be continually updating my prediction when new technology becomes available.
Quote "BTW my old video card had 256mb of VRAM and I could play most games of the time (2006)" My question to you is, Did they ever look as good as Uncharted 2, Killzone 3 or Gran Turismo 5?
Your link was enough :\ But it is you who doesn't understand. That was the original Cell processor. 1 PPE and 7 SPEs. They do not make a lot of localised heat, 2 PPEs and 32 SPEs at 6Ghz will even will a lower die shrinkage. A very good cooling solution will be needed, and that is expensive.
This Spec sheet is not set in stone.